Corrugated cartons are used in various manufacturing and distributing plants for packing and shipping goods. The cartons are supplied in flat condition and must be erected, i.e. reconfigured to become open three dimensional containers. The first step in the erecting process is to expand the flat carton to form a tubular three dimensional shape. The second step is to fold the bottom flaps of the carton to hold the intended contents, the first flaps folded being termed minor flaps and the later flaps folded being termed major flaps. The bottom of the erected carton is then fastened closed, e.g. by application of a tape, glue or staples.
Automated equipment for erecting cartons has been available for years. Examples of carton erecting equipment are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,582 for a Box Erector and U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,436 for a Method And Apparatus For Squaring Cases. Known carton erecting equipment such as these two examples are able to readily erect cartons of singular size and shape. However, the known carton erecting equipment requires time consuming adjustments to be able to handle various carton sizes or styles. In some cases, this modification may be beyond the capability of the machine. It is therefore recognized that a need exists for an automatic apparatus able to erect cartons of various sizes and styles without the need to convert the apparatus.
In a prior response to the need for a size adaptable automatic carton erecting apparatus, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/747,880 owned by the same assignee was filed on Jan. 23, 2013. The invention disclosed herein provides a further improvement of the design concepts described and claimed in this prior patent application.